Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay has authorised theatres to increase daily screenings for one week following requests from industry associations.
The Tamil Nadu government has amended the Tamil Nadu Cinemas (Regulation) Rules, 1957, to allow theatres to screen up to six shows a day for new Tamil films during their first week of release. According to reports from Urban Acres and ANI, the screenings can begin at 6am and continue until 2.30am the following day.
Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay issued the order after requests from the Tamil Film Active Producers Association, the Tamil Film Producers Council, and the Tamil Nadu Theatre and Multiplex Owners Association. The new provision also permits six daily shows on Saturdays, Sundays, public holidays, and local festival days.
Under Rule 14-A of the existing regulations, all theatres in the state are permitted four shows per day. While special permission was previously granted for additional shows during festivals like Pongal and Deepavali, the latest amendment extends this to the first week of any new Tamil film release.
The Tamil Nadu Film Producers Association said the move restores a level playing field, noting that films released at 6am in overseas markets and other states often generated reviews before viewers in Tamil Nadu could watch them.
This decision reverses restrictions introduced in 2023 after a fan died during celebrations for the film Thunivu. Previously, the state permitted only four daily shows, with the TVK government later increasing this to five shows for the first seven days of a film's run.
